Time to feel out the pre-pre-season roster. These are known players, whatever their status may be. Am I missing anybody? Player, Twitter Instagram Forwards (6): Kealia Ohai, @KealiaOhai @kealiamae Janine Beckie, @janinebeck4 @janinebeckie4 Rachel Daly, RachelDaly3 @racheldaly3 Melissa Henderson, @Mhenderson6 @melissahenderson21 Stephanie Ochs, @stephochs7 @s_ochs7 Nichelle Prince, (Rookie) @nichelleprince7 @nprince7 Midfielders (7): Carli Lloyd, @CarliLloyd @carlilloyd Morgan Brian, @moeebrian @moebrian Andressa (Andressa Cavalari Machry), NA NA Denise O'Sullivan, @OSullivanDenise @deniseosullivan100 Amber Brooks @abrooks22 @abrooks22 Caity Heap @caity_heap @caity_heap Cami Privett @CamiPrivett @camiprivett Defenders (6): Carri Roccaro @cari_roccaro @cari_roccaro Poliana (Poliana Barbosa Medeiros), @poliana_13 @poliana_13 Bruna Benites (New Signee) @brunabenites3 @brunabenites Janine Van Wyk (New Signee) @Janinevanwyk5 NA Claire Falknor (New Signee) NA @cfalknor Erin Smith (Rookie) NA @esm0oth Goalkeepers (3): Lydia Williams @lydsaussie @lydsaussie13 Bianca Henninger @Beeyoncs @bhenninger Jane Campbell (Rookie) @jane_campbell1 @janecampbell_ The Houston Dash currently have 22 players, with the need to only trim one player before the start of the season, & one more before Carli Lloyd returns in June. Carli Lloyd does not count against the roster limit until she returns. You can make a more than reasonable argument that, of all teams in the NWSL at this moment, the Dash are the best off. A clear cut starting 11 and decent depth, including several players capable of moving around to fill needs. At first glance the most noticeable concern is wideback. Trading away Moros has the left side of the defense with the biggest hole on the team. The starter isn't as clear cut as the rest of the team, never mind depth. There are two forwards in Daly & Ochs capable and experienced at playing wideback, but I don't recall either of them playing down the left. Erin Smith is a versatile attacker & defender, but her highlights package from Rutgers shows her playing exclusively down the right flank. Claire Falknor appears to be the best option at this point, with Waldrum quoted as saying " She’s very skillful, with the ability to play anywhere across the back line,...". In addition, Falknor has experience playing down the left flank from her time with the Gators. My starting 11 (left to right, front to back) using the successful 4-3-1-2 the Dash finished the season with: (Without Carli Lloyd) Forwards, in wide positions as if it was a typical front 3, not a tandem 2. Kealia Ohai Janine Beckie False 9, essential filling the role of center forward but with advanced depth. Rachel Daly Center Midfield. These positions are meant to be as fluid & interchangeable as possible. Andressa Morgan Brian Denise O'Sullivan Back 4 Claire Falknor Janine Van Wyk Bruna Benites Poliana Goal Keeper Lydia Williams
I have 17 players under contract + the two (expected) allocated US players + 1 allocated Canadian. I haven't seen that these two have been signed. I'd be surprised if they kept all three keepers. Though, I guess now that Portland has acquired a backup, there aren't any teams with an opening for a GK... so I don't know what they are gonna do.
Additional "known" invitees from the pre-season roster. Today is the first day NWSL teams can begin training. Here is the Dash preseason roster, including non-roster invitees. pic.twitter.com/ZYq5KZKUAe— Corey Roepken (@RipSports) March 13, 2017 Forwards Amber Munerlyn @AmberrrM_ @amberm Defenders Megan Crosson @megcrosson @megcrosson Jaylyn Odermann @Jaylyn_Odie @jaylyn_odie Megan Crosson the name to watch.
I'm curious if they completely waive B or find her a loan somewhere as I would think Williams starts this year and Campbell you look to be the future of your team. Also, notice Heap is listed as a non-roster invitee. Was a waive announced with her? Also, I know she does media stuff and probably is a min salary player but I think its time for Henderson to go. Edit: nm regarding Heap. He said it was a mistake in a follow up tweet. She's on the current roster.
Yea, 2 more mistakes on the roster, or rather, 2 names omitted : Goalkeeper Lauren Watson and forward Anna Maria Gilbertson
On the article Dash released, Anna Maria Gilbertson is shown as a full contract player. Is that a typo or did she actually sign?
Nothing to surprising about final roster. Personally going to miss Henninger, however... http://www.houstondynamo.com/post/2017/04/10/houston-dash-announce-2017-nwsl-roster-0 Goalkeepers (2): Jane Campbell, Lydia Williams Defenders (6): Bruna Benites(INTL-BRA), Claire Falknor, Cami Privett, Poliana(INTL-BRA), Cari Roccaro, Janine Van Wyk (INTL-RSA), Midfielders (6): Andressa (INTL-BRA), Morgan Brian (FED-USA), Amber Brooks, Caity Heap, Carli Lloyd (FED-USA, OOM), Denise O’Sullivan (INTL-IRE), Forwards (7): Janine Beckie (FED-CAN), Rachel Daly (INTL-ENG), Sarah Hagen, Melissa Henderson, Kealia Ohai, Nichelle Prince (FED-CAN), Stephanie Ochs
Figured we shouldn't carry on in a prediction thread. Losing the locker room surprises me to hear. The whole "he's such a nice & likable guy" & such. That also makes the fact that he is GM now all the more weird. Why give that to him if he lost confidence from the players? That being said, I had heard about the packed schedule preventing practice, & that would have had the same impact regardless of locker room status. The situation with B was stupid beyond belief. It wouldn't surprise me if he's lost the team already because of it. What did you mean by "at each other" ... on social media?
I feel like this year is basically a "let's just look to next year" year. Like they drafted Campbell because it is likely Williams isnt back next year. But then you need a #2 next year since there was no way B wasnt the odd one out. That it took so long to waive her I think looks bad. I see Daly going back to England next year if she wants to become a fixture on the England NT. So you pick up Hagen and Prince to fill voids. I'm hoping both her and Ohai tear it up after she was left off Euro squad and Ohai wants to prove last year wasn't a fluke. Maybe they become another NC that just outscores opponents. I dont think Waldrum is the coach to create that team. Does Waldrum finally leave if this year goes poorly. Making him GM seems to opposite move of a coach in his last chance. On top of this. Regular 3pm games in Houston heat I just don't see going well. Gonna wear on the team. I don't think its an advantage over visiting teams who dont have to constantly play in that. Especially the teams not hosting any 4pm games and get to have mostly 6-7pm games. And that move by the league likely affects the bottom line for attendence.
KeeperNotes posted CHI-HOU post-game interviews - Home Run blasts explained! http://keepernotes.com/2017/04/15/in-the-tunnel-dash-red-stars-post-game-video/ The Dash have a very charismatic group of players!
I heard during the broadcast yesterday mention of the sit-down at the end of last season to address some of the issues raised here, but the announcers also said a lot of those issues seem to have been dealt with. Glad to have at least opened with a win.
Not too bad a start. I said this on twitter, but I refuse to look too much into this win after last year's good start and then disappointing turnout. I feel like NT Beckie is very different from club Beckie. Not sure if Dash playing style doesn't work with her or what. I want her to succeed so I hope a full season resolves this. Plus depending how long Moe is out, trying to work her back in will be interesting.
here's finally the full game replay of last week's match http://www.nwslsoccer.com/games/info/4fjqktddhw818pe9n652l0jqh/ while it was a rather impressive score line, they still got to worry about their new CB's, both Bruna & van Wyk showed that their excellent tacklers(well, especially the latte) they still had trouble clearing the balls out and passed back into the dangerous center area. Playing from the back is never easy. If future opponents due their homework, their going to start zeroing in with a lot of strong pressure on those two CB's, Got the feeling a lot giving up easy goals in the future, unless those two don't improve. Hopefully when she's back, Brian takes over for O'Sullivan (instead of Beckie or Brooks). Just think O'Sullivan is a tad slow for the American game.Though same can be said for all three of the Brazilians/or at least didn't seem to be at their best in the first game of the season
Disagree on a few things. O'Sullivan and Andressa are not quite as fast as other NWSL midfielders (especially Andressa), but doesn't really matter as they are both technically sound enough that they are able to turn out of trouble. Unlike, say, Camila who was never up to the pace of the league. From my standpoint, as long as Lloyd is gone then Brooks and O'Sullivan are must starts in the midfield. The worst stretch the Dash had last year was with Brian, Andressa and Brooks as the starters. It wasn't until O'Sullivan was moved into the lineup that things started to turn around. Brian and Andressa are too similar as players. They fill the same space, as much as Brian fancies herself an attacking midfielder, she isn't. End result, you didn't have enough of an offensive presence out of mf. You can move Brian or Andressa back to the pivot (which is what Waldrum did when he began starting O'Sullivan at the expense of Brooks), but you give up a lot defensively. Once O'Sullivan was slotted in last season, she was a true attacking midfielder and you started to see a forward push out of mf which opened up space for the forwards.